Cellular box filler



July 7,1936. wl K 2,046,985

CELLULAR BOX FILLER Filed Feb. 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 v Hafiz;

INVENTOR July 7, 1936. w s I 2,046,985 I [CELLULAR BOX FILLER Fi'led Feb. 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

' WITNESS I fix .fiaizzz I/I/z Uc ms, 1 v v W Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CELLULAR BOX FILLER John Wilkins, Glenside, Pa., assignor to Walter P. Miller Company, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 12,1936, Serial No. 63,545 3 Claims. (01. 93-37) This invention relates to cellular box fillers. While capable of a. variety of applications, it is particularly useful in the art" of manufacturing liners and dividing partitions for candy boxes or the like.

One object of my invention is to provide a box filler which aifords a single thickness liner for the sides and ends of the box in which it is adapted to be inserted, and double thickness partitions which divide the box into a series of compartments or cells.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing such box fillers at a minimum of cost and with a minimum of material consistent with strength.

Another object of my invention is to provide box fillers of the type described, which are characterized by strength and rigidity, and ease of assembly, and are further characterized by the elimination of any overlapping edges or parts which disfigure or interrupt the continuity of the side or end walls of the compartments or cells.

Still other objects and advantages characterizing my present invention will become more fully apparent from the description hereinafer set forth of one example of a box filler and method of making the same, in accordance with the practice of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Fig. I represent the first step in the method of manufacture which consists in scoring an elongated cardboard sheet and applying adhesive material to certain parts thereof.

Fig. II represents in perspective thecardboard sheet of Fig. I, scored and folded to form a collapsed rectangular cell with a butt joint in a side wall thereof.

Fig. III represents in perspective another cardboard sheet scored in the same manner, and folded to form an alternate cell of the box filler, the adhesive material being applied at diiferent regions of its outer surface.

Fig. IV represents a perspective view of four cells folded, collapsed and adhesively secured to each other, with portions broken away to illustrate the manner of assembly.

Fig. V represents a cross section, taken as indicated by the lines VV of Fig. IV.

Fig. VI represents a perspective view of the completed box filler partially collapsed.

Fig. VII represents a perspective view of the completed box filler expanded for insertion in the box; and,

. fillers are made from elongated cardboard blanks,

as represented at I in Fig. I. The first step in the process of manufacture consists in scoring the sheet i as indicated at 2a, 2b, 2c, M, by means of rotary knives 3 or the like, beneath which the 10 sheet is caused totravel in the direction indicated by the arrow. Simultaneously with the scoring of the-sheet I, adhesive material as indicated at 4 may be applied to certain regions of the surface by spaced rollers 5 or other convenient means. 15

The application of the adhesive material, may take place either at this stage or at a later stage in the process after the sheets I have been folded. v After the elongated cardboard sheets i have been scoredin the manner represented in Fig. I, certain of the sheets are folded about the scoring marks 20,, 20 to form collapsed rectangular cells, as shown in Fig. II, and others are folded about the scoring marks 212, id as shown in Fig. III to form .counterpart cells. It will be observed that the cardboard sheets folded in the manner shown in Fig. II have the adhesive material applied, as indicated at 4, .to the wall which contains the joint 6, Whereas the sheets folded in the manner shown in Fig. III have the adhesive material applied to the opposite wall at regions indicated at 411. Allof.the collapsed cells are desirably scored in identical manner, but for reasons hereinafter apparent the adhesive material is applied at different regions in alternate cells of the series required to constitute a box filler. Each cell constitutes a complete rectangle with the side edges of the sheet meeting without overlapping each other, and thus forming a butt joint.

After the cardboard sheets i have thus been scored and folded and the adhesive material has been applied in the manner described, the

sheets are superimposed upon each other in the adjacent cell,'and all of the butt joints 6 are within the partition walls and not in the lining walls of the filler. It is important that one butt joint 6 shall not be in registry with another such joint in order that the double thickness partitions of the box filler shall not be weakened, and

it is also important that there be no joints in the lining walls of the filler.

A cross section of the cardboard sheets collapsed and assembled together is shown in Fig. V. It will be observed that the butt joints I are staggered in such manner that the double thickness partition walls of the filler affords a maximum of strength.

After-the cardboard sheets I have thus assembled to form a series of interconnected collapsed rectangular cells II, it, ll, II, the assembled sheets are cut transversely of their length i at spaced intervals to divide the same into a series of counterpart box fillers. One such box filler is represented in Fig. VI; in a partially collapsed form. In order to adapt the filler for insertion in a box, such as represented at I in Fig. VIII, it is merely necessary to expand the same to its fully extended form.

While in the illustrated example of the practice of this invention, there is shown a box filler having four, compartments or cells, it will be apparent that the described method permits a box filler to be made with any number of such compartments or cells. Moreover, the manner of folding and assembling the sheets forming the individual compartments may be varied to some extent provided that care is taken to have each butt joint 6 disposed in a partition wall of the filler rather than in a lining wall, and provided further that each butt joint is lapped by a solid section of a side wall of the adjacent cell. Each cell constituting as it does an exact counterpart of adjoining cells, the method of manufacture herein described can be carried out at a minimum of expense and with comparatively simple instrumentalities employed for the operations involved. The finished article presents a neat appearance and has great strength when inserted in a. box, because all of the lining walls of the cells are backed by the walls of the box, and all of the jointed walls are backed by and secured to solid sections of adjacent walls. Thus the cells or compartments are interbraced and rigidly maintainedin the desired form. Furthermore, there are no overlapping edges interrupting the continuity of the inner or outer surfaces of the cells.

While I have described one example of the practice of my invention, pointing out in some detail the particular steps to be followed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such steps can be varied or modined to produce a structure of equivalent characteristics without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing cellular box fillers affording single thickness liners and double thickness partitions, which consists in scoring and folding blanks of cardboard or the like to form counterpart collapsed rectangular cells, each with a butt joint in one side wall thereof, and adhesively securing to each other and pressing together said collapsed cells, the cells being assembled in such manner that the butt joint of each cell is lapped by a solid section of a side wall of the adjacent cell.

2. 'I'he method of'manufacturing cellular box fillers affording single thickness liners and double thickness partitions, which consists in scoring and folding elongated blanks of cardboard or the like to form counterpart collapsed rectangular cells, each with a butt joint in one side wall thereof, adhesively securing said collapsed cells to each other in such manner that the butt joint of each cell is lapped by a solid section of a side wall of the adjacent cell, and.cutting said folded and adhesively secured blanks at equi-spaced intervals transversely of their length to divide the same into a series of counterpart box fillers.

3. A cellular filler affording single thickness liners and double thickness partitions for a box, comprising cardboard sheets scored and folded to form counterpart rectangular cells, each with a single butt joint in oneside wall thereof, said cells being pressed together and adhesively securedto each other with the butt joint of each cell lapped by a solid section of a side wall of an adjacent cell.

JOHN ms. 

